Parachute.



J. VIG.

PARAGHUTE. APPLICATION FILED DEG. 15, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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L WQ, .PARACHUTR APPLICATION FILI-D DBC.15, 1914.

Patented Mam, 1915 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. VIG.

PARAGHUTE.

APPLIGATION FILED D Eo.15, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

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FARACHUTF.

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tlpeccation ot Letters Patent.

Patented Mar., 9, llFlltt..

` Application ler December 15, 1911i. Serial No. 377,353.

provide a parachute that is .adapted to be folded into a very/.small compass. whennct it in use, and which can' beconveniently and rapidly extended incasejof danger or accident, and which cooperates with an inflatable life saver. y

With these and other objects in view,

2o which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention -is better understood, the

saine consists inthe combination, arrange,-l

mentand construction of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, pointed out in the appended 25 claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size'and prol portion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the ap- .o pended claims without departing fromthev spiritor sacrificing any of the'advantages I of the invention,`

lBroadly speaking, the invention `consists of a parachute substantially in the formto 'of a folding umbrella, which is provided with a hollow staff into which air is adapt ed to berforced as the parachute descends. The air. flows from the hollowstati into `a life Ysaverdike contrivance, that is attached le to ci@ terry or the aviator.

' @ne of vthe many possible embodiments "of the invention is illustratedv in the accompanying drawngsin which i f lFigure l is a vertical 4 section taken ttvthrough a parachute yconstructed in accordance with the present invention in its folded i state, its covering 'being removed to more clearly show the construction; Fig. 2 is a I similar section taken through-- a portion ofA itt the parachute in its extended position; Fig.

Bise section' taken through the parachute stad and its runner; Fig. 4 is acentral sec; tion taken through the topfof'the staff; Fig. g1 5 Ais a section 'taken-on vline 5-5 ofFig. 4;;

4t5 Fig. 6 is a section taken 'on line 6-6 'of Fi i l2; '-Fig. 4is a section taken `1through a detail of construction of a joint between the folding sections of the ribs oftheparachute; Fig. 8 is a section taken through the life saver ccperatingvwith the parachute; Fig. yEl is a section taken through the lower portion-of the staff of the parachute and the.

connecting means between the saine and the life saver; Fig.- 10. is a section taken at right angles to thatshcwn in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a section taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12-12 of Fig. Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 13--13 of Fig. 10; Fig. 14 is a section taken on line 1li- 1t of Fig. 10; and Fig. 15 is a detail of the device shown in Fig. 10.

ln the drawings, the numeral indi-V cates a tubular stad, to the upper end of which is attached in any suitable manner a casing 21, having two passages 22, that lead to the interior of the staff 20, said passages being provided with air inlet ports 23 in their sides, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. 'llo the casing is attached a crown 9A, to which are'pivoted ribs 25 in a manner well known in the umbrella art. The-number of these ribs may be varied according to the requirements. The ribs are each made of two sections 26 and 27, which are pivoted to a connecting piece 28 at 29 and 30,-re

spectivel'y. 'To this connecting piece are seoutermost ones Aof the springs abutting against the rib sections, as clearly shown in Fig. Q of the drawings. To each rib section is pivoted a link 32, connected by a member 83, that is provided with a perforation 34, in which isl seated a spindle 36, the latter be- 1 ing attached to the connecting piece 98. Around the spindle is coiled a spring 37,

that bears .against the member 33 and the connecting piece 28. rllhe spring 37 aids the action of the springs 31 in extending the rib sections when the parachute is being opened'.

:A spring 88 is attached to each section 26 o'f the ribs, said springs bearing against the respective rib sections 27, when the parachute is folded (Fig. 1), and aid also in the opening action of the springs above referred to. With each spring 38 cooperates a catch 39, that is carried by the section 9.5 of each rib, said catch being made use of when the parachute is being folded to prevent the corresponding section 27 of the rib from bein extended while the others are being folded.

The' ribs may be of any suitable con- `'cured a plurality of leaf springs 31, ar- 'ranged in` a semi-circular form, the two struction. In the case illustrated in the drawings, for instance, they are made of two sheet metal sections 40 and 41, that are riveted together and reinforced by' Wiies 42. Perforations 43 are provided at suitable intervals in the ribs for receiving the thread o r other means that attaches the covering of the parachute to the said ribs. To each rib section 26 is pivoted at 44 the outer end of a brace 45, its inner end being fulcrumed at 46 to a runner 47, which is slidably disposed in the usual manner upon the stati. This runner carries a-plurality oftelescoping'v tubes 48, which are disposed coaxially with the stall", and connected by springs 49, each of the latter being inclosed by two adjacent telescoping tube sections. The uppermost of the springs, denoted by the nuv moral 49', bears against the uppermost of the telescoping tube sections and against a disk-shaped member 50, that is ixedly at tached to the staff- 20. Below the casing 21 there is attached to the staff a stopY 51 for the telescoping tube sections 48. To each lbrace 45 is pivoted at 52 an auxiliary brace 53, the latter being ulcrumed at 54 to a second runner, denoted by the numeral 55. This runner is slidably disposed upon a tu bular extension 56 of the runner 47. Between the two' runners is located a spring 57. The tubular extension 56 of the runner 47 is provided with two lugs 58, that are adapted to be engaged by spring pressed catches 59, the latter being pivoted at 60 to a disk 61, that "is attached to the stai 2O near its lower end. To 4the dislf: 61 are fastened stay-cords 62 and 62, each cord 62 being attached to a link 63, that is. pivoted to a connecting` piece 28 between the rib sections 26 and 27, and each stay-co rd 62 being fastened to the tip of a section 27 of a rib. To the lower end of the stall 2O is attached a joint 64. This jointcomprises a hollow substantially O-shaped member, that communicates with the tubular stati, and is provided with outlets 65 leadingr to a conical seat 66, that is open at one of its sides, as shown at 67, to permit of-a sideward insertion thereinto of the conical end 68 of a tube 69. This tube is carried by a bracket 70, which is fastened to a .shield 71, the latter being adapted to be attached to the arm ot the aviator. Upon the bracket are arranged lugs 72, thatfitinto recesses 73 in a block 74, the latter being secured to the joint 64. The upper end of the conical portion 68 of the tube 69 is closed, for instance by a disk 75, that is carried by a spindle the lat- 'ter being', slidably disposed in the bracket 70 and held in its closing position by a spring; 76.k The tube 69 leads to a life saver 77, which is held upon the body of the aviator, and is made in the form of .an inflatable bod-y, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 of the'draw ings. In the tube 69 is arrangedavalve cas-Y,

ing 78, in which `is disposed a check valve 79, that permits of a passage ot' air from the stall: 2() to the liic'saver, but prevents a return thereof.`

The operation of this device is as follows: The lite saver 7 7 normally attached to the body ot the aviator, the bracket 70 being held upon one o't bis arms with the parts attached thereto. The parachute is disposed upon the aerial vessel in its 'folded or collapsed position (Fig. 1). lVhcn the parachute is in its closed position, the catches 39 are disengaged from thc springs 38, the latter together with the springs 37 and 49 being; held under tension by the catches 59 in engagement with the lugs 58 upon the tubular extension 56 of tbe-runner ln case'of danger o'r accident, the aviator inserts laterally the conical end 68 of the tubo 69 into the conical seat 66 of the joint 64. By this operation the lugs 72 are brought into the recesses 73 in the block 74. By pulling then the bracket 70 downward until the parts are brought into thc positions shown in Fig. 10pt the dra wines, the lugs 72 prevent the bracket iroin becoming disengaged Afrom the joint 611-. lVhen the parts are in these positions, tbc outlets 65 in the lioint' 'llrreistcr with inlets SO in the conical portion 68 el' the tube 69. The operator then lisengag'cs the catches 59 from the lugs 58, whereby the parachute is automatically opened, the parts being brought into the positions shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, permitting thus of a sate descent of the aviator. In descending, air is forced through the ports 23 in the passages 22 into the tubular stall 20, the air passing through said stall and throu h tbe joint 64 to the tube 69, and through t e latter into the life saver 77, which will thus be inflated. The inflated life saver aids in the safe descent ot the aviator.

What l claim is 1. In a device oi the character described, the combination with a 'foldablc parachute laving a tubular stall provided with air inlet ports immediately below the covering of the paracluite, of an inflatable life saver adapted to be attached to the body of the aviator, and a tube connecting said hollow stall` with said life saver.

2. In a'dcvice of the character described, the combination with a foldable parachute having a tubular staff provided with air in let ports immediately below the covering of the parachute, ot an inllatable lite saver adapted to be attached to the bod)r of the aviator, a tube leading from said life saver, and coaotingr separable means for ronnecting said tube with said hollow stall.

3. In a device o't the character dcscril'ied, the combination with a foldable parachute having a tubular staf? provided with air in- 1ct ports immediately below the covering of lli) menace the parachute, of an inHatable life saver adapted to be attached to the body of the aviator, a tube leading from said life saver, coa-ating separable means for connecting said tube with said hollow stad, and means for attachingV that portion of said connecting means which is associated With said tube to the arm of the aviator.

4:. In a device of the character described, the combination With a foldable parachute having a tubular staii' provided With air inlet ports immediately below the covering of the parachute, of an inatable lite saver adapted to be attached vto the body of the aviator, a tube connecting-said hollow stati' 15 with said life saver,l and a check valve in said tube. l

Signed at Witherbee, in the county ot Essex and State of NewYork, this 7th day Jozsniv vte.

' oi Dec., A. D. 1914.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. STERHAAT, CLARENCE J. MYERS. 

